ROCHESTER, NY -- The RIT (14-4)men's lacrosse team defeated Hartwick College (8-8) 16-9 in the championship game of the 2004 ECAC Division III Upstate New York Men's Lacrosse Tournament. RIT's Josh Molinari (Oswego, NY), who had three goals and seven assists, was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Molinari also scored his 100th point of the season, finishing the year with 105 points, a new RIT record.

RIT got on the board just 17 seconds into the first quarter when Chris Copeland (Webster, NY) took a pass from Ryan Neward (Williamsville, NY) and scored the first of his eight goals on the day, giving RIT the 1-0 lead. With 9:45 to play in the first Devin Poole tied the scored with his goal on an assist from Kevin Geraghty. Josh Molinari gave RIT a 2-1 lead with his unassisted goal with 8:50 remaining in the quarter. Mike Rose tied the score for Hartwick at 2-2 with his unassisted goal. The Tigers took control of the game, rattling off three straight goals, opening up a 5-2 lead. David Thering (Fairport, NY) had a goal and Chris Copeland had two goals in that stretch for the Tigers. Greg Cohan broke up the run by RIT with his goal on an assist from Devin Poole, cutting RIT's lead to 5-3. Thering closed out the scoring in the first quarter with a man-up goal with 1:35 to play, giving RIT a 6-3 lead.

The Tigers tallied five goals in the second quarter, while holding the Hawks to just two. Ryan Neward opened the scoring in the second when he took a pass from Molinari and scored, making it 7-3. Chris Copeland scored with 5:33 remaining, while Neward scored his second goal of the quarter, giving RIT a 9-3 lead. Molinari added a goal on a assist from Thering, giving RIT a 10-3 lead. The Hawks answered with a pair of goals from Mike Debrossy, cutting the Tiers lead to 10-5. Molinari scored the final goal of the quarter, giving the Tigers an 11-5 lead at the half.

The Hawks tried to mount a comeback in the second half, scoring four times. However, RIT was able to keep pace, tallying five goals. Copeland scored four of RIT's five goals in the second, half, two each in the third and four quarters. Hartwick got goals from Mike Debrossy and Devin Poole to cut RIT's lead to 12-7 at the 8:00 minute mark of the third but were unable to get any closer as RIT answered right back with two straight goals to end the quarter.

RIT was led by Josh Molinari who had 10 points on three goals and seven assists. Chris Copeland added nine points on eight goals and an assist, while David Thering added three goals and three assists. John Foley (Guelph, ONT) was outstanding in net for RIT, stopping 18 shots.

This is the second time RIT has won the ECAC Championship. The Tigers last won the title back in 1998.